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Articles in Culture and Criticism

Note Found in a Bottle
March 5, 2007 – 2:12 AM | No Comment

It’s a really good, fast read; the directness of the prose reminds me of Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, and also of Joan Didion, but it’s less mannered than either of those two.   A lot …

Nobody’s Perfect
March 5, 2007 – 2:10 AM | No Comment

Really wonderful work by Anthony Lane; the movie reviews are top-notch, the book section is chewy but not too dense, and the piece on the bestseller list circa 1994 made me giggle out loud at …

Nine Innings
March 5, 2007 – 2:10 AM | No Comment

Okrent’s diction gets a little high for the subject sometimes, but it’s very accessible, and because it’s about a single game in 1982, all these baseball names from my childhood keep popping up and making …

My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure
March 5, 2007 – 2:09 AM | No Comment

It’s really good; EW gave it a B+, but I think that’s low.   It’s really funny and a fast read.   Shawn’s full tour schedule is <a href=”http://blog.myspace.com/mypetvirus” target=”_blank”>here</a>.   Tell him Sars sent …

The Museum of Hoaxes
March 5, 2007 – 2:09 AM | No Comment

It ends up serving as a comment on human nature, really.

Murder Among The Rich and Famous
March 5, 2007 – 2:09 AM | No Comment

Some of the writing is clumsy, but it suits the vintage style of the material and isn’t distracting.   A quick read, and particularly hilarious on the Tarnower murder. (9/30/03)

Motherless Brooklyn
March 5, 2007 – 2:08 AM | No Comment

It’s very good, but do you ever find yourself reading a sex scene and wondering why — like, that there’s some rule of fiction stating that any novel for grown-ups has to have some sex …

Monster
March 5, 2007 – 2:08 AM | No Comment

It’s a book about the endless rewriting of Up Close and Personal, which is one of the weakest and most pointless Hollywood-product movies I’ve seen from the last ten years, so it’s cool to hear …

Moneyball
March 5, 2007 – 2:07 AM | No Comment

Excellent read for fans of the contemporary game and/or of Bill James; the writing really purrs along (it could have stood better proofreading, though).

A Million Little Pieces
March 5, 2007 – 2:06 AM | One Comment

I actually finished this days ago, but I’ve been avoiding writing it up here, because…where to begin, really, with this whole <a href=”http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0104061jamesfrey1.html” target=”_blank”>flapdoodle</a>.   The story begins, for me, months ago, when I was …